This week we’re finally back with a jam-packed episode full of news and reviews! First on the agenda is Daniel Day-Lewis’ shock retirement announcement (which fails to convince) and Annette Bening ruling the roost in Venice, plus a record amount of invitations from AMPAS gets our seal of approval. There are reviews of Bong Joon-ho’s madcap fable “Okja” and Sofia Coppola’s period potboiler “The Beguiled,” while we venture into superhero territory with verdicts on Marvel’s latest spidey story “Spiderman: Homecoming” and DC’s critical and box-office hit “Wonder Woman”. Elsewhere, Gal Gadot’s pacing on the front line conjured up images of the catwalk for Cal, there’s a pitch for a Miranda July-led superhero movie, and Irini unforgivably mistakes Garrett Hedlund for a certain Amazonian explorer.

News from the Croisette lures Irini and Cal back to the microphone, as we discuss yesterday’s announcement of the 70th Cannes Film Festival lineup, featuring (among others) new films from Andrey Zvyagintsev, Lynne Ramsay, Todd Haynes, and podcast favourite Sofia Coppola. We’re also catching up with news we haven’t discussed since the last episode, chief of which is *that* infamous Oscar mix-up, plus we touch upon the surprise smash hit “Get Out” and dig into some seriously juicy female-led TV shows. Elsewhere, Irini shamelessly flaunts some national pride when we discuss one of the festival’s entries, we vehemently disagree on the virtues of the Safdie brothers, and Cal tests Irini’s patience by taking a pop at Xavier Dolan and all but killing off Michael Haneke.

In the wake of the Oscar nominations, Cal and Irini are back to discuss the exciting inclusions and dastardly snubs from this year’s crop, dishing our opinions on an unfortunate Amy Adams and a crowded Best Actress race, conceding to the power of Michael Shannon, and generally shaking our heads in disapproval at Mel Gibson. Elsewhere, we each give our top ten films of 2016, which includes those from Korea, Germany, Argentina, and more! Plus there’s a lot of love for Pablo Larrain, and one of Irini’s favourites receives a less-than-enthusiastic response from Cal.

Irini and Cal return from Venice and Toronto respectively, worn out but nevertheless enthused about many of the films showing in this year’s festival season. Tune in for thoughts on the prizes from each festival, plus commentary on La La Land, Arrival, Toni Erdmann, Jackie, and much much more! We also dig a little into the entries for this year’s Foreign Language Oscar, and speculate on whether this can finally be the year of Amy Adams. Elsewhere, there’s a silent prayer for Brad and Angelina’s marital collapse, thunder threatens to halt the podcast, and nobody can seem to find Irini’s cat Chiara.

Intro Music: Lana Del Rey, “High By the Beach”Outro Music: B*Witched, “Blame It On the Weatherman”

After an eight-month absence, Irini joins Cal to discuss all that cinema has had to offer us in 2016 so far, with both giving their favourite five films and performances of the year, and discussing their personal highlights. With Irini heading to Venice and Cal heading to Toronto, there’s plenty to be excited about concerning festival season. We dig into our biggest hopes from the festivals, and look ahead to year-end releases from Ang Lee and Martin Scorsese, among others. Elsewhere, there’s a Lobster-related story from the heart of Japan, trepidation over Xavier Dolan’s latest cinematic effort fails to faze Irini, and some unexpected virtues of Jaden Smith are revealed.

Best of 2016:

Counting down our top five films of the year so far!

[10:30 – 23:15]

2016 Round-Up:

Favourite performances, personal highlights, and discussing what films so far may be in the running for year-end awards!

[23:20 – 43:30]

Festival Previews and Anticipation:

Discussing our biggest hopes from the Venice and Toronto Film Festival lineups, and anticipating end-of-year releases!

We’re back from a two-month absence with a jam-packed podcast, focusing on the big juggernauts of this year’s awards season, as well as the seventh instalment of a certain sci-fi franchise. We tackle Steven Spielberg’s latest moody historical drama “Bridge of Spies,” claustrophobic double-hander “Room,” and Todd Haynes’ lesbian tale “Carol,” which had to hurdle prickly preconceptions from Pete about one of its main stars. We give our verdict on Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s forest-set revenge tale “The Revenant,” Thomas McCarthy’s journalism drama “Spotlight,” and the biggest film of 2015, “The Force Awakens,” while we may have had a few choice words to say about the use of Margot Robbie in fancied finance crisis comedy “The Big Short.” Elsewhere, we predict this year’s Academy Award nominations (happening tomorrow!), we mourn the death of the great David Bowie, there’s a digression on the films of 1988, and a listener question prompts an upheaval of The Pootsition.

Opening Segment: Discussing the film career of musician, actor, and all-around legendDavid Bowie, who sadly passed away this week

This week we return with a lively episode, featuring (sorry!) not a great deal of positivity, but we try and make the best of a bad situation regardless. There’s two helpings of Michael Caine, firstly in the supernatural Vin Diesel vehicle “The Last Witch Hunter,” and then in Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth,” which had to ride some heavy preconceptions about its director’s historic use of music. Elsewhere, Cal reviews gambling affair “Missisippi Grind” and we turn our attention to “Spectre,” the latest film in a recent purple patch for the James Bond franchise. Other issues which emerge include Taylor Swift’s legal problems, the history of curses in the game of baseball, and laughable accents of Jude Law past. We assess the history of BIFA Best Actress winners, there’s speculation about Judi Dench’s fondness for Vin Diesel, and the writing’s on the wall for Sam Smith as we dig our claws into his latest assault on the eardrums.

This episode’s stacked roster sees six films reviewed, including controversial feminist drama “Suffragette” and concept horror “Circle,” as well as Cary Fukunaga’s “Beasts of No Nation,” which leads us to a discussion of Netflix and the future of film distribution. Pete would have liked to re-cast Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Lobster” with favourable enough actors to get him to watch it, but Cal didn’t mind so much, while Denis Villeneuve has to ride some significant preconceptions when we review drug thriller “Sicario.” Elsewhere, colourful hats pose a Huston Problem for Cal, and Robert Zemeckis is the flavour of the week, as Pete reviews “The Walk” and we have a chat about Back to the Future in the wake of its 30th anniversary.

The week’s news: Chris Rock to host the Oscars, plus Cal reviews “Son of Saul” and “Dheepan” from the London Film Festival!

A big congratulations to Pete, as this week he proposed to his other half Jane, prompting the women of the West Midlands to cross him out in their little black books, and the podcast to indulge in a Taylor Swift-inspired celebration. The week’s reviews include “The Intern,” Nancy Meyers’ latest frothy window into the life of a working woman, and “McFarland,” the latest of many sports movies in the lengthy filmography of Kevin Costner. Cal dares to take on William Shakespeare’s story structure in his review of the latest adaptation of “Macbeth,” while many of the plot developments in “The Martian” are up for scrutiny, particularly with regard to the Chinese. Elsewhere, two composers’ birthdays get us discussing their finest works, there’s a sizeable digression about the Best Actress crop of 2003, and Pete can’t help but veer into profanity while ranting about one of the week’s scripts.

The week’s news: The career of the late John Guillermin, plus the week’s birthdays!

This week there’s a ton of news, as we discuss the possibility of Damian Lewis as James Bond, the decision by Sean Penn to sue Lee Daniels, and the final submissions for the Foreign Language Oscar, which include a surprising move from the French committee, and a nationally-questionable entry from Ireland. The week’s reviews see us tackle the frosty climate and eclectic cast of Baltasar Kormakur’s “Everest,” Cal caught Anthony Hopkins’ clairvoyant antics in “Solace,” while an unforeseen plot device in Jack Black comedy “The D Train” saw us glimpse far more of him than we’d like. Elsewhere, Ryan Adams’ cover of Taylor Swift’s album has Pete enthused, and the week’s array of hunks pleases Cal greatly.

This week we sliced up the new releases, which include Tom Hardy’s dual-role as the Kray twins in “Legend,” Willem Dafoe as famous Italian director Pier Paolo “Pasolini,” and action-packed thriller “No Escape.” Cal caught this year’s German entry for the Foreign Language Film Oscar, “Labyrinth of Lies,” and Woody Allen’s latest, “Irrational Man,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone, plus the week’s birthdays see us discuss the great Alexander Korda, and everyone’s favourite beefcake, Mickey Rourke. Elsewhere, the pair of us lament the absence of “Phoenix” from this year’s Oscar hunt, a Lake Bell monologue is memorable for all the wrong reasons, and one of the biggest surprises on the podcast ever sees one of the week’s performers redeemed in Pete’s eyes.

The week’s news: Featuring discussion of Wendy Ide’s exit from The Times, the week’s birthdays, and the winners from this year’s Venice Film Festival!

This week we turn our attention to a flurry of recent awards news, as the recipients of this year’s Honorary Oscars were announced, and several countries have submitted their entries for this year’s Foreign Language Film contest. We pay tribute to the late great Wes Craven, while Cal uncorks a trio of European classics in the latest edition of the Red Light District, featuring discussion of Francois Truffaut and Vittorio De Sica. The week’s reviews include Andrew Haigh’s tense marital drama “45 Years” and Jonathan Demme’s rock star romp “Ricki and the Flash,” while Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart were reunited in action comedy “American Ultra,” and Jafar Panahi managed to get another film made (“Closed Curtain”) despite being a prisoner in his own home. Elsewhere, we discuss Charlotte Rampling’s incredible decade-and-a-half, Kristen Stewart’s hair dye does the trick, and there’s trepidation for double-Tom Hardy in next week’s Krays film.

The week’s news: Featuring a retrospective of Wes Craven’s career, plus we chat about the recipients of this year’s Honorary Oscars, and the first submissions for this year’s Foreign Language Film Oscar!

With the exception of Guy Ritchie’s “The Man from U.N.C.L.E,” this week’s selection of films is fairly highbrow, as we discuss the acclaimed story of Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, “Love and Mercy,” and the elderly romance arthouse hit “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” while we seemed to spend an age discussing our various issues with Anne Fontaine’s “Gemma Bovery.” Elsewhere, Blythe Danner’s Pinot Grigio diet appeals to Cal, Universal’s domination of the marketplace gives us pause for thought, and there are titanic preconceptions for next week’s re-appearance of Charlotte Rampling.

We’re back this week with laments of last week’s disastrous attempted episode, and some devastating news from the film world, as we say goodbye to a much beloved cinematic canine. We chat about Aaron Sorkin’s latest project and Edward Norton’s controversial comments about the Academy Awards, plus this month’s Red Light District brings rapturous word about a French model-turned-actress and some rare positivity concerning Neil Diamond. The week’s reviews include Judd Apatow-helmed “Trainwreck,” desert-set thriller “Beyond the Reach,” Nanni Moretti’s meditiative drama “Mia Madre,” and Joel Edgerton’s directorial debut, “The Gift,” plus Jeremy Irvine’s physique wins points from Cal, Tilda Swinton’s stylist wins points from Pete, and LeBron James’ appearance in one of the week’s films wins (off-the-court) points all round.

The week’s news

Opening Segment: This month’s Red Light District, featuring discussion of “Blind Date,” “Death of a Salesman,” “Empire of Passion,” “The Jazz Singer,” “Love in the Afternoon,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “That Is the Dawn,” and “Walk on the Wild Side”!

We’ve spent the past two weeks topping up the tan, but now we’re back with an episode packed full of criticism, as we turn our attention to the most anticipated film of the year, Pixar’s “Inside Out”. We also assess whether Tom Cruise has still got it, in the latest instalment in the Mission Impossible franchise, “Rogue Nation,” while Cal reviews heavy-going boxing fable “Southpaw,” and Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara in ramshackle comedy “Hot Pursuit.” Meanwhile, we turn our attention to the start of the awards season by digging into the Venice and Toronto Film Festival line-ups, touching upon (among other things) Charlie Kaufman’s return to directing and Tom Hooper’s latest piece of Oscar bait. Plus there’s news of Mads Mikkelsen’s unlikely collaboration with a pop star, Alicia Vikander’s prolific year in film continues, and Xavier Dolan’s foray into the world of voice-over acting comes as somewhat of a surprise.

The week’s news

Opening Segment: Discussing the line-up for this year’s Venice Film Festival, featuring anticipation for films from Charlie Kaufman, Atom Egoyan, and Pablo Trapero, plus we discuss some of the awards hopefuls playing at this year’s film festival in Toronto!

This week’s episode features a lengthy review segment, as we discuss Marvel’s latest superhero introduction, “Ant-Man,” starring a youthful looking Michael Douglas and a buff looking Paul Rudd, and Rupert Goold’s courtroom thriller “True Story,” which prompted objections from Cal concerning its casting. Our latest dip into world cinema saw Cal test out the Spanish period serial killer drama “Marshland,” which made at least a visual impression, while Pete saw the coming of age tale “Les Combattants,” the English translation of which is laughably off-the-mark. Elsewhere, an Oscar-nominated performance from the 90s gets a dressing down, the under-utilized Felicity Jones is the subject of our sympathy, and a French Lesbian director-actor romance is but a chapter in the story of Adele H.

This week we’re going full-blown indie, with reviews of Irish animated adventure “Song of the Sea,” and New Zealand-set horror comedy “Housebound,” while the racial politics of college-set satire “Dear White People” leave us with conflicted thoughts. We get off to an overwhelmingly positive start, as July’s instalment of the Red Light District features a Colombian festival hit and a Hammer Horror classic, and leads to digressions about the Best Actress Oscar race of 1963 and the richness of 2013’s world cinema. Elsewhere, there’s a competition which could see you win DVDs of a Bresson classic and a recently restored Ealing Studios pic, plus Pete brings up an interesting anecdote involving Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.

The week’s news:

The death of Omar Sharif

The week’s birthdays

[4:10 – 12:04]

Red Light District: Our regular feature in which we discuss non-new releases we’ve seen from the past month, featuring discussion of “The Curse of Frankenstein,” “Heartbreaker,” “Hue and Cry,” “A Man Escaped,” “Manos Sucias,” “A Most Wanted Man,” and “Out of the Clouds”!

This week we turn our attention to two high-profile sequels, as the James Cameron-endorsed “Terminator: Genisys” lit up cinema screens this past week, while Cal was alone for “Magic Mike XXL,” the follow-up to the 2012 stripper hit we famously (if rather predictably) disagreed on. Parallel dimensions are brought out in the Justin Long-Emmy Rossum romance “Comet,” which confused Cal and made a rather negative impression on Pete’s screening partner, plus there’s news from the on-going East End Film Festival. Elsewhere, Dustin Hoffman’s been a bit outspoken, we take some time out to celebrate a milestone for Lena Endre, and Jai Courtney’s abs are under the microscope.

As 2015 races on, we’re joined this week by Irini M. to talk about our highlights from the year so far, plus she gives us a recap of her latest successful film viewings in a special edition of the Red Light District. Reviews this week include Roy Andersson’s quirky Golden Lion winner, “A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence,” Mauritanian drama “Timbuktu,” while Cal dishes all on the latest Nicholas Sparks adaptation “The Longest Ride,” paying particular attention to Scott Eastwood. Elsewhere, we sat down for Peter Bogdanovich’s latest screwball emulation “She’s Funny That Way,” and Pete caught the Despicable Me spin-off “Minions,” which it’s fair to say tested his patience. Tune in for an unexpected tirade against Mickey Rooney’s longevity, some love dramas concerning the Stratten family, and the occasional jibe about Greece’s disastrous financial situation.

The week’s news

Red Light District: Irini “pimps” the many films she’s seen lately, featuring discussion of “Ana and the Wolves,” “Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem,” “The Invisible Man,” “Lifeboat,” “Spring,” and much more!

[8:35 – 24:53]

Preconception Corner

Reviews of:

The Longest Ride 33:20 – 43:52

Minions 44:53 – 49:44

A Pigeon Sat… 49:45 – 58:15

Timbuktu 58:16 – 1:02:07

She’s Funny That Way 1:02:08 – 1:12:49

Halfway through 2015: Discussing our favourite films and performances from the year so far!

We’re back this week with a packed episode, as we get around to tackling the record-breaking blockbuster “Jurassic World” and the latest collaboration between Bill Condon and Ian McKellen, “Mr. Holmes,” while some interesting news items get us chattering about Kristen Stewart’s sexuality and Ingrid Bergman’s past indiscretions. We pay tribute to the late James Horner by discussing some of our favourite work of his, Cal reviews Celine Sciamma’s latest coming-of-age tale “Girlhood,” and trepidation for the the heavily-delayed and part-disowned “Accidental Love” is tested when we review David O. Russell’s foray into the world of political satire. Meanwhile, Cal has caught up with a British Springtime hit and one of Harvey Weinstein’s Oscar hopes, Pete is distinctly unimpressed with Vincent D’Onofrio’s military mindset, and Laura Linney’s stab at a regional English accent goes down like a lead balloon.

It’s been three long years and the podcast is still going, so sit back and listen to a compilation of our past year of putdowns, innuendo, and general banter. For those unfamiliar with the podcast, we do discuss films with intelligence and depth, and sometimes even like them, but none of that seemed as entertaining as Pete’s homoerotic plot rundown of “The Giver,” Cal’s unexpected remark about Jodie Foster, or our dissection of Roger Ebert’s anecdotal “Memoirs of a Geisha” review. Anyway, enjoy!

This week we’re dealing with a litany of deaths in the film world, as two actors, a screenwriter, and a producer all passed away, plus we dust off the cobwebs for a lengthy Red Light District. The week’s reviews include James McTeigue’s secret service drama “Survivor,” the latest collaboration between Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy, “Spy,” and Chinese Golden Bear winner “Black Coal Thin Ice” (again). Meanwhile, Helen Mirren’s won yet another award for playing the Queen, there are rumblings of discontent about Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s attempt at a French accent, and Cal’s drunken encounter with a singer is contradicted by his love of Judy Garland.

The week’s news:

Helen Mirren wins a TONY

The death of Sir Christopher Lee

The death of Ron Moody

The death of Jean Gruault

The death of Robert Chartoff

“The Walk” to open the New York Film Festival

[4:23 – 14:40]

Red Light District: This month’s round-up of films seen from the past, featuring discussion of “Cuban Fury,” “Curtain Up,” “The Harvey Girls,” “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” “Time After Time,” and “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

This week begins with a lengthy opening, featuring discussion of Sofia Coppola’s travails with the studio system, a long overdue film on the Suffragette movement, and a retrospective of Al Pacino in the wake of the release of “Danny Collins.” There are also reviews of disaster action movie “San Andreas,” Iranian vampire flick “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night,” and romantic comedy “Man Up,” which propelled us into a digression concerning the politics of internet dating. Elsewhere, Cal is forced into a Neil Diamond-style rendition, a certain Antipodean singer narrowly avoids a dreaded Ehle Omission, while Pete disses the vocal talents of a British redhead, much to Cal’s chagrin.

The week’s news: Some Birthday wishes, plus news on Sofia Coppola’s exit from “The Little Mermaid,” the opener of this year’s London Film Festival, and a chat about Al Pacino!

This much-delayed episode sees us discuss last week’s big releases at the cinema, including Brad Bird’s adventure tale “Tomorrowland,” and horror remake “Poltergeist.” We also had time to chat about Rosamund Pike’s latest twisted thriller, “Return to Sender,” and Cal reveals all about Samuel L. Jackson’s “Big Game,” which had a rather ludicrous plot setup to live up to. Simon Pegg’s recent outspoken antics may have upset comic-book geeks far and wide, but his thoughts on modern blockbusters instigate a lengthy chat about the future of the industry, while the prizes from the Cannes Film Festival dredge up longstanding observations about the festival’s politics. We may only be in June, but tune in to find out which leading performance Cal has already declared the worst of the year, which fishy figurehead Nick Nolte reminded Pete of, and which lesser-known actress emerged as the star of her film.

The week’s news: Discussing some interesting birthdays in the world of film, Simon Pegg’s assault on modern studio filmmaking, and the prizes from the Cannes Film Festival!

This week we’re back, with some post-election blues, but there are a host of birthdays from the world of cinema to celebrate, leading to digressions about the work of Richard Brooks and Frank Capra. In the wake of the on-going we take time out to discuss the conversely different reviews for Todd Haynes’ and Gus Van Sant’s new films, plus there is (already) news of the next jury president at the Venice Film Festival. As for the reviews, Cal caught up with Chris Rock’s semi-autobiographical romance, “Top Five,” and the sequel to the popular acapella tale “Pitch Perfect,” while we both saw the trailblazing “Mad Max: Fury Road” and Blake Lively’s stab at Benjamin Button, “The Age of Adaline.” Elsewhere, Christopher Doyle’s words of wisdom infiltrate their way into this week’s critiques, we lament the demise of Thora Birch’s career, there’s a rant concerning one of Charlize Theron’s upcoming projects, and Pete’s culinary limitations as a bachelor are laid bare.

The week’s news: Discussing some interesting birthdays in the world of film, and the buzz from the on-going Cannes Film Festival!

Our latest episode is our shortest yet, as connection problems plagued our recording, and this week’s offering of films was fairly minimal. The big question this week is whether negative preconceptions about Thomas Hardy and Thomas Vinterberg respectively, could be conquered when we sat down for period romance “Far From the Madding Crowd”. Elsewhere, we both caught geriatric romance “Elsa + Fred,” starring Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer, while Cal was in the queue for social media horror “Unfriended,” which gets us talking about the value of gimmicks. Plus: a series of listener questions leads to an inquisition into last week’s Pootsition and the advent of a new segment, there are digressions about the strength of 1964’s Best Actress and 2004’s Best Actor fields, and Pete launches an unexpectedly vicious assault on the work of Julian Jarrold.

Listener Questions [Ibbi]

[3:50 – 13:19]

Red Light District: Revealing the non-new films we’ve been catching up with in the past month, featuring discussion of “Dead Ringer,” “Middle of the Night,” The Pirate,” and “Up”

This week there’s some festival fever, with the upcoming Cannes Film Festival generating fervour abroad, and Derby’s incarnation providing some local interest. We split the reviews segment, as Pete was there for Marvel’s huge sequel to “The Avengers” and Carol Morley’s acclaimed period drama “The Falling,” while Cal caught the gothic thriller “Stonhearst Asylum” and his favourite, Reese Witherspoon, in immigrant tale “The Good Lie.” Elsewhere, we talk about a couple of deaths in the film community, which instigates a discussion of cinematography in the early Noughties, there’s been drama on the set of the new Adam Sandler film, and the return of Greta Scacchi leads to a bit of a love-in. Tune in to discover what Xavier Dolan’s huge faux-pas might have been, which Avengers actress does not survive The Pootsition, and why Reese Witherspoon’s underwear was somewhat of an issue for Cal.

This week it’s time to go retro again, as this month’s Red Light District is a Best Actress spectacular, which gets us discussing (among other things) the women of 1948, and the testiness of Barbara Stanwyck. The week’s reviews concern Nazis, outlaws, gardeners, and wild goose chases, as we tackle Kristian Levring’s Western “The Salvation,” and courtroom drama “Woman in Gold.” Cal reveals all on the wilderness-set “Jauja,” while Alan Rickman’s sophomore effort “A Little Chaos” offered Pete a chance to atone for an earlier egregious omission. Elsewhere, there’s an unexpected shout-out to Courtney Love, Daniel Bruhl is saddled with another thankless role, and the trailer (and tagline) for Blake Lively’s latest project has us howling.

We’re back after a two-and-a-half week absence with a packed lineup! As we catch up on the releases from the past fortnight, we’re reviewing five films, including the highly-anticipated new film from Christian Petzold, “Phoenix,” and Keanu Reeves’ foray into the action genre with “John Wick.” Cal reveals all about Noah Baumbach’s latest observation on the middle-classes, “While We’re Young” and Andrew Niccol’s moralistic war drama “Good Kill,” while we finish by talking about teen flick “The DUFF,” which Pete suspected that Cal would like. Elsewhere, in the wake of Thursday’s announcement of the Cannes Film Festival lineup, we assess upcoming films from Gus Van Sant, Paolo Sorrentino, and more, a listener’s rant re-instigates a costuming discussion from our last episode, and a controversial Pootsition flies narrowly close to the age of consent.

This week’s reviews include medieval fantasy adventure “Seventh Son,” the latest incarnation of the fairy tale “Cinderella,” and Argentinian Oscar nominee “Wild Tales,” which is courting controversy in the wake of some bad release timing. Elsewhere, we discuss comedy caper “Get Hard,” which already had preconceptions reeling from Tim Robey’s assault on its homophobic tendencies, plus we chat about the horrendous title of Russell Crowe’s upcoming directorial debut feature, and the bizarre nature of Jeff Bridges’ vocal work. Meanwhile, the memory of Marlene Dietrich lives on the attire of one of this week’s performers, Ed Sheeran’s Australian exploits has Pete hoping he’ll stay there, and why is nobody mentioning the Grimm brothers’ glaring plot hole? Cal’s off to New York next week, so we’re taking a fortnight hiatus, but hopefully we’ll return with news of Pete’s first four-star film of the year.

This week we discuss Sean Penn’s brawn in the critically-derided “The Gunman” and Ryan Reynolds’ form in the flat-out weird horror comedy “The Voices,” while the return of Shailene Woodley in Robert Schwentke’s “Insurgent” brings excitement (as does the surprise appearance of Naomi Watts), but did the Divergent sequel live up to the promise of its predecessor? Elsewhere, in the wake of the release of “Mommy” we take the opportunity to discuss the career of Xavier Dolan (leading to a Greek peace offering), we discuss the crowded Best Actor field of 2007, one of this week’s performers prompts a resurrection of the “best actress under thirty” debate, and Pete has taken to social media with his frustration at radio airplay.

Preconception Corner

A Conversation on Xavier Dolan: Discussing the filmmaker’s work thus far, in the wake of this week’s release of “Mommy”[15:25 – 25:12]

This week the Red Light District returns, bringing news of films from the fifties, a World Cinema classic from Scandinavia, and digressions involving Maria Schell, Ava Gardner, and Otto Preminger. We have reviews of the latest Jaume Collet-Serra/Liam Neeson project “Run All Night,” wartime romance “Suite Francaise,” and meditative drama “Still Life,” while one of us was more prepared than the other for the Sapphic shenanigans in Peter Strickland’s “The Duke of Burgundy.” Elsewhere, Pete’s fondness for Sidse Babett Knudsen goes into overdrive, Cal feels guilty for a second consecutive snub of Matthias Schoenaerts, and we’re all about the Arri Alexa.

Red Light District: Pimping the best old films we’ve seen in the past month, featuring discussion of “Gervaise,” “Pelle the Conqueror,” and “The Smallest Show on Earth”[8:50 – 20:30]

In our 138th effort, we managed to keep this episode to a reserved sixty four minutes, allowing for discussion of Gregg Araki’s latest take on adolescence, “White Bird in a Blizzard,” Jeremy Renner as a crusading journalist in “Kill the Messenger,” while Cal revealed whether “Chappie” is as bad as the trailer (and most of the reactions to the film) suggests. It’s fair to say that this week’s slate of films leave a lot to be desired, but we try and find the positives as best we can. Elsewhere, the UK’s Eurovision entry fails to get us excited, we discuss the litany of queer roles for the actors of 2005, Neill Blonkamp’s recent fascination with female villains leads to an unexpectedly crude remark about Jodie Foster, and Hugh Jackman’s radical hairstyle rocks the Gauge.

After last week’s epic trawl through the best of 2014, we move onto this year’s delights, sampling the A-list, B-list, and indie offerings from stateside. We review crime caper “Focus,” starring the overcharged coupling of Will Smith and Margot Robbie (the latter of which dominated most of Pete’s attention), while Jennifer Lopez’s infrequent on-screen activity of late is remedied in trashy thriller “The Boy Next Door.” Cal managed to catch queer Sundance hit “Appropriate Behaviour,” plus, off the back of Kristen Stewart’s Cesar win, we review Olivier Assayas’ Alpine foray into the world of acting, “Clouds of Sils Maria.” Elsewhere, we reveal some exciting plans for the month ahead, there’s some speculation about how J. Lo’s Tinder profile might read, and the trailer for Neill Blonkamp’s latest robot-dominated effort instigates fear, sympathy, and eventually derision.

Despite Pete’s efforts toward the contrary, this week’s episode is our longest yet, as we dig into our year-end awards, disclosing more than a little about our favourite films and performances. We also react to this past Sunday’s Academy Awards, measuring “Birdman” up against the Best Picture winners of the past and speculating about how its leading man couldn’t also sail to victory. The week’s reviews include time travel thriller “Predestination,” starring podcast favourite Ethan Hawke, Jennifer Aniston’s failed Oscar bid, “Cake,” and Michael Mann’s latest procedural drama “Blackhat,” which one of us walked out on. Meanwhile, Anna Kendrick is – quite literally – a vision, there’s an appearance from Gloria Gaynor, and Pete has an abrupt apology for one of last week’s performers after omitting her from The Pootsition.

This week, we discuss the upcoming Oscars, casting our predictions for 20 of the 24 categories, and mulling over the scenarios that could befall presumed leaders “Birdman” and “Boyhood,” plus there’s big news from Berlin, as Charlotte Rampling stakes a claim for a place at next year’s Oscars. We get physical, as Pete was the podcast representative for Matthew Vaughn’s violent spy thriller “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” while Sam Taylor-Johnson’s hotly-anticipated “Fifty Shades of Grey” had its own share of weaponry. It’s fair to say that the erotic mega-hit wasn’t really going to be up either of our alleys, but the assembled crew generated cause for excitement. Pete snubbed Marisa Tomei but Cal managed to catch Ira Sachs’ latest gay-themed drama “Love is Strange,” while a seven-film haul in the Red Light District leads to discussion of the Best Actor Oscar race of 1998, Tyrone Power’s limited acting ability, and the allure of Dylan McDermott. Elsewhere, this week’s Joe Wright rant concerns a lesser-known Scottish actor, we’re once again reminded of the original Huston Problem, and there’s an unexpected nod to Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

The week’s news:

The death of Louis Jordan

Berlin Film Festival winners

[2:35 – 10:04]

Red Light District: Pimping the best films we’ve seen from yesteryear, featuring discussion of “The Flight of the Phoenix,” “Gods and Monsters,” “In the Line of Fire,” “Inside Moves,” “The Luck of the Irish,” “The Prowler,” and “Reuben, Reuben”!

[10:05 – 26:53]

Preconception Corner

Reviews of:

Kingsman: The Secret Service36:13 – 45:33

Love Is Strange 45:34 – 56:03

Fifty Shades of Grey 56:04 – 1:13:07

Closing Segment: Predicting this year’s Oscar winners, featuring discussion of everything from the big “Boyhood” vs. “Birdman” tussle, to the closely fought Best Editing race, to the likelihood of an upset in the Best Foreign Language Film category!

This week we discuss the various Oscar races in the wake of the BAFTA winners, touching upon Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s amusingly reduced moniker at the ceremony, the best of the speeches, and the closeness of the Boyhood vs. Birdman Best Picture tussle. It’s a week of mixed expectations on the podcast, as we review the ethereal Jessica Chastain’s latest passion project “Miss Julie,” helmed by Pete’s favourite actress and female director Liv Ullmann, while buzz was in the gutter for the Wachowski siblings’ “Jupiter Ascending,” which Cal managed to catch this past weekend. Meanwhile, Pete’s decision to venture out for the “Shaun the Sheep Movie” was the talk of the workplace, and we finally get around to digging into the controversies surrounding Ava DuVernay’s “Selma,” starring an Oscar-snubbed David Oyelowo. It’s fair to say that the plot rundown of the week’s sole Science-fiction effort didn’t exactly go smoothly, while Pete underwent a Punjabi plight at one of this week’s screenings, and Ernest Borgnine’s infamous Brokeback bigotry gets dragged up for another airing.

This week we’re back with a diverse array of films, from the artistic flourish of animated science fiction yarn “Big Hero 6,” to the war-torn meditation of Foreign Language Oscar nominee “Tangerines,” the review of which led to some rather distasteful fruit-based innuendo. Elsewhere, we were both in the queue for the second collaboration between Paul Thomas Anderson and Joaquin Phoenix, the stoner detective tale “Inherent Vice, while Cal’s long-standing perplexity with religion was tested when he sat down to watch Berlin Film Festival runner-up “Stations of the Cross.” Meanwhile, a big news segment sees us discuss the possibility that the French aren’t all that snobby, an unexpected coming out story leads us into a discussion of the 1972 Oscars, Imogen Poots is bested by the unlikeliest of characters, and Pete likens Judy Greer’s association with Jason Reitman to self-flagellation.

This week’s episode sees us catch up on last week’s excised news segment by discussing the line-up for the upcoming Berlin Film Festival, as well as the announcement that the Coen brothers will rule over this year’s Cannes jury. Elsewhere, we offer our thoughts on the shifting Oscar races in the wake of the PGA and SAG winners, before revealing our thoughts on the week’s releases which includes controversial nominated documentary “Citizenfour.” Cal was in the queue for Anna Karenina lovers Domnhall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander’s reunion in sci-fi flick “Ex Machina,” and he also had time to see Mark Wahlberg’s blackjack skills in Rupert Wyatt’s “The Gambler,” while we both settled down for the latest work from podcast favourites Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, in eighties-set drama “A Most Violent Year.” Elsewhere, some random digressions test our film geek credentials, an underappreciated child performance gets us discussing the 2001 Best Actor Oscar roster, and the unexpected cosmetic virtues of a certain whistleblower tickles Cal’s fancy.

The week’s news:

Joel and Ethan Coen to preside over this year’s Cannes Film Festival jury

This week was so jam-packed that we had to cut the entire news segment, but don’t worry, we’ll get around to that in our next episode. Instead, we react to last week’s Oscar nominations with theories on everything from the race row, to the surprise Marion Cotillard inclusion, to the unexpected haul for “American Sniper”. We also review Clint Eastwood’s latest delight, as well as other nominated films, including musical drama “Whiplash,” and soul-searching adventure “Wild,” starring Cal’s favourite, Reese Witherspoon. We’re on board with a wine-quaffing Kevin Kline in Parisian jaunt “My Old Lady,” and Pete dishes all on Alicia Vikander’s received pronunciation in wartime romance “Testament of Youth,” which featured too much Oxford reverence for his liking. Elsewhere, Bradley Cooper’s fuller face is up for scrutiny, there’s an unexpected bit of advocacy from Jane Fonda, and Sienna Miller’s dark locks threaten to steal the gold in The Pootsition.

Preconception Corner

Reviews of:

American Sniper 10:40 – 22:24

Whiplash 22:25 – 37:21

My Old Lady 37:22 – 45:50

Testament of Youth 45:51 – 54:40

Wild 54:41 – 1:07:23

Closing Segment: Our reaction to the Oscar nominations, featuring discussion of the snubs, the race row, and the quality of the nominees as a whole!

We only have two films this week, but the episode is jam-packed, thanks to Sunday’s Golden Globe awards and the impending Oscar nominations. We discuss the highlights from the ceremony, and the impact of recent events on all of the major Oscar races, speculating whether Jennifer Aniston can really seal the deal, and if there’s any room for manoeuvre in that seemingly locked Supporting Actress lineup. Elsewhere, negative preconceptions concerning Steve Carell are tested when we review Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher,” and Pete’s far-from-impressed verdict on “Into the Woods” sees Cal and Irini scrambling to defend the Disney musical. The return of the Red Light District sees us chat about the days when Leos Carax was joyful, the banality of Adolf Eichmann, and Jean-Luc Godard’s contempt for iPhones, while Pete has his own bridges to burn with social media, and none of us are quite sure how to pronounce Isabel Coixet’s name.

The Week’s News:

The death of Anita Ekberg

The death of Francesco Rosi

The death of Samuel Goldwyn Jr

Isabel Coixet’s new film to open Berlin Film Festival

Opening Segment: Our review of Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, featuring reaction to the winners, the speeches, and of course the fashion!

In this episode, we turn our attention to the awards race, as this week sees the release of two films vying for Oscars, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s meditation on the theatre, “Birdman,” and spirited Stephen Hawking drama “The Theory of Everything”. We also take the opportunity to discuss the Producers Guild Award nominations and the winners from the National Society of Film Critics’ annual round of voting, touching (lightly) upon a victory for Jean-Luc Godard, and speculating about the Oscar chances of Timothy Spall, Marion Cotillard, and Rene Russo among others. Elsewhere, Pete’s improvable opinion of Denis Villeneuve is tested when Jake Gyllenhaal takes on a double role in “Enemy” and last year’s Norwegian Foreign Language Oscar entry “Kon-Tiki” finally made British shores, while some disappointing controversy about the latest Nicholas Cage film, “Dying of the Light,” threatens to overshadow the review. Meanwhile, there’s news of upheaval for the Factor and Range, Cal’s latest reading material provides a window into the Best Picture Oscar race of 1967 and Rex Harrison’s bad behaviour, and Felicity Jones’ sixties attire may finally have won over her childhood cohort.

The Week’s News:

Mark Schultz turns his back on “Foxcatcher”

Producers Guild Award nominations are announced

National Society of Film Critics winners

[2:40 – 14:45]

Preconception Corner

Reviews of:

The Theory of Everything

Kon-Tiki

Dying of the Light

Enemy

[26:00 – 1:03:10]

Closing Segment: Our take on Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s “Birdman,” discussing the Best Picture race, and our favourite films about the theatre!

It’s our last episode of 2014 so we take the opportunity to celebrate the best films we’ve reviewed on the podcast this year, and our favourite performances, which includes a surprising Supporting Actress win from Pete. This week’s reviews include the Biblical epic “Exodus: Gods and Kings” and Angelina Jolie’s audacious survival tale “Unbroken,” while Pete caught Jimi Hendrix biopic “Jimi: All Is By My Side.” We discuss fradulent artist drama “Big Eyes,” starring Amy Adams, while we assess Julianne Moore’s bid for a long overdue Oscar in heavy-going Alzheimer’s tale “Still Alice.” Elsewhere, the death of the last remaining acting Oscar winner from the 1930s resurrects a common complaint, we scrutinize this year’s Foreign Language Oscar race some more, there’s a Razzie-level performance in one of this week’s films, and the podcast is interrupted by the children and dogs in Cal’s packed household.

It’s the week of the epics, as Peter Jackson finally ends his Middle Earth fascination (we hope, anyway) with the last instalment of The Hobbit, and Nuri Bilge Ceylan has made his longest film yet, with the solemn Palme d’Or winning “Winter Sleep.” We had an awful lot to say about Ceylan’s 196-minute effort, which leads to a discussion of films about actors and an all-out celebration of Ava Gardner, while we managed to get around to festive favourite “Get Santa” and Cal caught the middle-class melodrama “The Face Of Love.” Elsewhere, we discuss the impact of the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations, whether Jennifer Aniston can get that Oscar nod, and the early announcements for the Berlin Film Festival brings encouraging news of new films by Terrence Malick, Andrew Haigh, and Kenneth Branagh. We reveal our tentative plans for the festive period, a Turkish delight creates a dilemma for Pete in the Olsen Factor, and a dodgy looking sci-fi effort looks to bring awards favourite Eddie Redmayne crashing back to Earth.

The Week’s News:

Berlin Film Festival reveals it will premiere Terrence Malick’s “Knight Of Cups”

This week is a boozy one, as Pete managed to finish a six-pack during the recording, but we still manage to talk fairly eloquently about the week’s releases, which include seaboard thriller “Black Sea” and animated spin-off “Penguins of Madagascar.” We also had quite a lot to say about intergenerational connection, as “St. Vincent” tugs at the heartstrings, while the decidedly less wholesome “Eastern Boys” leads to a Joe Wright rant and a discussion about relationships that is alarmingly close to the bone. The latest edition of the Red Light District offers a lot of positivity, as we discuss of one of Israel’s finest efforts, an unexpectedly amusing romantic comedy, and a gay Brazilian romance, while we also chat about the latest critics’ awards, which look to be heading for a “Boyhood” sweep. Kathleen Byron instigates a quickfire celebration of legendary Supporting Actress performances, Naomi Watts’ Russian chatter leaves us a bit bewildered, and Pete risks the wrath of his father by revealing a whisky faux-pas that would have connoisseurs recoiling in horror.

This week we’re catching up for lost time with two weeks’ worth of films, and a ton of news, from the sad demise of Mike Nichols to the influx of awards action, featuring discussion of Marion Cotillard’s Oscar prospects and the underachievement of Edward Norton, while Pete is particularly aghast at the NBR’s fondness for “The Lego Movie.” Reviews this week include our take on podcast favourite Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of James Brown in “Get On Up,” the less-than-popular Hilary Swank in Tommy Lee Jones’ maybe-Western “The Homesman,” and the daunting prospect of Michael Bond’s “Paddington” being adapted for the big screen. Elsewhere, Pete found time to see Antipodean vampire comedy “What We Do In the Shadows,” while Cal was the only one queuing up to see Jennifer Lawrence in the latest instalment of The Hunger Games, “Mockingjay Part I.” Meanwhile, there’s a digression about 2006’s Best Actress Oscar lineup, one of Faye Dunaway’s many camp film roles is celebrated, Kevin Spacey’s private life gets an airing, and Pete is seriously torn between allegiance and detest in anticipation for Jason Reitman’s upcoming film, which stars the one and only Judy Greer.

This week the beer is flowing, and so is the innuendo, as Pete finally has the keys to his brand new house. This forces Cal into a distillation of jukebox classics, before we review the new releases, which include Michael Roskam’s “The Drop” and Roger Ebert documentary “Life Itself,” which prompts Pete to recite some of Roger Ebert’s more baffling reviews. In the wake of Alan Turing biopic “The Imitation Game” we get chatting about our favourite gay characters and icons of cinema, featuring discussion of Oscar Wilde and Billie Holiday, while Cal discloses some of the recent films he’s caught up with from earlier in the year, including a horror film about an urban archaeologist. A hefty news segment sees us discuss Angelina Jolie’s adoption of Derbyshire dialect, plus Eddie Redmayne’s fuckability sees a boost, and Fashion Police finally found a replacement for Joan Rivers. Elsewhere, the cast of Downton Abbey are out in force this week, Cal is feeling guilty for leaving Matthias Schoenaerts in the lurch, we float the possibility of a Tallulah Bankhead biopic starring Cate Blanchett, and Pete recounts a regretful dancefloor moment set to the music of Vanilla Ice.

This week we’re joined once again by Irini M., who brings us news from her home country’s Thessaloniki Film Festival in a notably more concise fashion than September’s Venice round-up. She also joins in our discussion of some interesting recent events, which includes some rare exciting news involving David O. Russell, and the bizarre spectrum of films vying for this year’s Animated Feature Oscar. We discuss two Foreign Language Oscar contenders, as Paolo Virzi’s “Human Capital” enlivens the middle-class misery of bourgeois Italy and Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Leviathan” documents the coastal conflicts of rural Russia, before giving ambition a dressing down, as Christopher Nolan’s epic “Interstellar” comes to town. We reveal whether the cinematic influences used in the film are a blessing or curse, and whether Nolan’s scope and logic holds up under scrutiny. Elsewhere, we recount a horror show from Venice which saw Pete become a gay advocate, a mistaken text briefly convinced Cal that his niece was a child genius, while Keira Knightley’s recent quest to boost female self-image has us rather baffled.

The Week’s News:

Darren Aronofsky to head the jury at next year’s Berlin Film Festival

David O. Russell’s long-delayed “Nailed” re-titled as “Love in Politics” and scheduled for release in the UK

Animated Feature Oscar qualifying list is announced

European Film Award nominations are announced

[3:05 – 20:55]

Opening Segment: Irini M. provides a round-up of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, which includes discussion of films by Peter Strickland, Susanne Bier, and Mia Hansen-Love!

[21:00 – 34:45]

Preconception Corner

Reviews of:

Leviathan

Human Capital

[43:25 – 1:01:30]

Closing Segment: Our take on Christopher Nolan’s space-set epic “Interstellar,” and discussing cine-literate films, with comment on “Allegro,” “Kill Bill,” and “Once Upon a Time in the West”!

This week we’re going retro again, as the Red Light District is back for its monthly outing, bringing news of an amibitious take on spirituality and a French poison-pen mystery, while a BAFTA-winning Maggie Smith performance and a glorious turn by Anne Bancroft turn the discussion to the year of 1987, in which we discuss the qualities of Holly Hunter, Olympia Dukakis, Jack Nicholson, and more! Current releases reviewed include the much-delayed “Charlie Countryman,” Polish surgery procedural “Bogowie,” and Dan Gilroy’s “Nightcrawler,” which had Seydoux repercussions for Jake Gyllenhaal. After that, attention is drawn to the painterly attributes of Mike Leigh’s “Mr. Turner,” but did either of us respond to the grunts and thrusts of Cannes Best Actor winner Timothy Spall? We engage in a brief hum-a-long of the film’s score, before taking the opportunity to discuss our favourite flicks based on the lives of artists, which includes talk of a Ken Russell biopic, a Tarkovsky epic, and a rare moment of non-objectification afforded to Emmanuelle Beart. There’s time to bitch about the running times of recent films in the wake of next week’s near three-hour “Interstellar,” while there are some rare kind words about Shia LaBoeuf, and an Adidas tracksuit unexpectedly provides a retrospective Huston Problem. Elsewhere, one of this week’s performers is unfavourably compared to Danny DeVito, the appeal of Mads Mikkelsen’s blondeness is swiftly dismissed by Cal, and the very thought of Lake Bell causes Pete to malfunction.

The Week’s News:

British Independent Film Award nominations are announced

[2:25 – 9:20]

Opening Segment: This month’s Red Light District, featuring discussion of films by Darren Aronofsky, Jack Clayton, Henri-Georges Clouzot, and David Hugh Jones, plus an overview of the films of 1987!

[9:25 – 25:05]

Preconception Corner

Reviews of:

Charlie Countryman

Nightcrawler

Bogowie (Gods)

[29:55 – 53:00]

Closing Segment: Our take on Mike Leigh’s biographical drama “Mr. Turner,” and discussing films based on the lives of artists!

We might have been delayed this week, but we’re back with four new releases, including the highly-anticipated horror film “The Babadook,” the trailer of which has been amusing us for weeks. Cal was the only one in the queue for Susanne Bier’s delayed period drama “Serena,” starring everyone’s favourite ballroom duo, while we both caught Bille August’s slow-burning mystery “Night Train to Lisbon,” although Cal saw it over a year ago! We end by discussing World War II drama “Fury,” which leads us onto calamitous film scores and the wonder of Terrence Malick. Elsewhere, we chat about the Best Picture races of 1998 and 1945, the Hibs vs. Celtic debate from our “Under the Skin” review is finally settled, and a listener question forces us to address the temperament of a certain female tennis player. We discuss why it doesn’t pay to be a fan of Ed Sheeran, Melanie Laurent is plagued with Huston problems, Pete manages to diss Carey Mulligan twice, and a sixty year-old sexpot has the potential to upset Elizabeth Olsen next week.

This week Pete is recovering from the gruelling tasks of running a half-marathon and tackling the Cougars of Sutton, while Cal is exhausted from a week’s worth of screenings at the London Film Festival. We’re braving hit horror prequel “Annabelle,” despite Pete being unable to remember its predecessor, “The Conjuring,” and we both saw futuristic flick “The Maze Runner,” which we only really watched for the presence of the delectable Kaya Scoledario. Pete saw Robert Duvall get his grump on in David Dobkin’s courtroom thriller “The Judge,” while Cal caught the James Franco-penned “Palo Alto,” the plot of which forced Pete into demonstrating his eye-rolls through sound bites. Audio cues continue to invade the episode from then on, so listen as we discuss a history of unappealing subplots involving Vera Farmiga, an 80s cult classic starring David Bowie, and the promise of Val Kilmer’s son Jack. Elsewhere, a certain horticultural film sees much of Matthias Schoenaerts on display, Cal braves the wrath of Irini when he reviews Xavier Dolan’s latest, and anticipation for next week’s “The Babadook” leads to hilarity.

The Week’s News:

The death of Misty Upham

The death of Kit Carson

Neil Patrick Harris to host the Oscars

Leviathan wins Best Film at the London Film Festival

[4:45 – 12:25]

Opening Segment: Coverage from the London Film Festival, featuring discussion of “A Little Chaos,” “Mommy,” and “Something Must Break”

We’re a little late this week, but we hope it’s worth the wait, as Cal has been to the London Film Festival, bringing news of films by Christian Petzold, Andrei Zvyagintsev, Francois Ozon, and a doozy of a performance by Reese Witherspoon. The week’s reviews consist of IRA thriller “’71,” starring everyone’s favourite young actor, Jack O’Connell, and scriptwriting comedy “The Rewrite,” which was somewhat overshadowed by Marisa Tomei’s jeans. Cal saw Susan Sarandon play Sheriff in religious serial killer drama “The Calling,” which just about escaped the dreaded “F” grade, while we also had time to discuss Stephen Frears’ BFI Fellowship, Lindsay Lohan’s theatre stint, and Michelle Pfeiffer’s history at the Oscars. Elsewhere, we argue about the main concerns of Billy Wilder’s “Sunset Boulevard,” pimp an underseen German exorcist drama, and chat about the eclectic cast of Judd Apatow’s upcoming film, the title of which greatly amuses Pete.

The Week’s News:

Stephen Frears receives a BFI Fellowship

[5:40 – 14:30]

Opening Segment: Coverage from the London Film Festival, featuring discussion of “Leviathan,” “The New Girlfriend,”“Phoenix,” and “Wild”

This week’s episode begins with an apology from Cal for last week’s drunken debacle, plus we plug Pete’s athletic abilities, and Cal tips a couple of worthwhile films playing at this year’s London Film Festival. In the wake of this week’s “Gone Girl” we dig into David Fincher’s chilly and distinguished career, before reviewing his new mystery thriller, but who was the unexpected stand-out of the cast? We tackle zombie comedy “Life After Beth,” before speculating on why The Times critic Wendy Ide may not have taken too kindly to the whole affair, while Pete left Cal to watch NFL procedural “Draft Day” alone, despite him knowing almost nothing (thank you, Mrs. Henderson) about the inner workings of the sport. Elsewhere, we conclude that Blake Lively’s impending arrival spells good news for the entire film community, Ellen Burstyn’s savvy use of social networking is too much for one of us to comprehend, and Ed Sheeran’s lyrical over-sensitivity towards hookups doesn’t go down too well. The bright side? There’s no sing-a-long.

The Week’s News:

David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” to return for a third season in 2016!

Steve Martin to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the AFI

Blake Lively is pregnant

Films to look out for ahead of this week’s London Film Festival

[6:25 – 16:15]

Opening Segment: In anticipation of “Gone Girl”: A retrospective of David Fincher’s career to date, featuring discussion of all of his films!

This week’s episode is a distinctly non-sober affair, as birthday drinks crippled Cal’s ability to function (he wants you to know that he is fully aware that Joanne Woodward is American), but we managed to get through this week’s busy line-up of films in under ninety minutes. Pete caught Denzel Washington thriller “The Equalizer” and Mike Cahill’s treatise on faith vs. science, “I Origins,” while Cal was in the queue for horror flick “Honeymoon” and had time to rewatch Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Ida.” After that, both of us weigh in on David Cronenberg’s Hollywood satire “Maps to the Stars,” featuring Cannes Best Actress winner Julianne Moore, which leads us into a discussion of women from the past who have received that honour. Elsewhere, banter about pop music shifts from Taylor Swift onto Cheryl Cole, we ponder how long George Clooney’s marriage will last, a Christie Clanger from last week is addressed, and preconceptions for David Fincher’s “Gone Girl” (reviewed next week) get laid bare.

After last week’s super-long episode, we lament Cal’s laissez faire approach to editing, but this edition managed to sail under the ninety-minute mark fairly smoothly. The Red Light District is back, as we discuss films starring Nina Hoss and Richard Burton, a dishonest Dogme flick, plus Cal’s return to awards completion gets us analysing two Best Actress Oscar races, one of which features one of the biggest snubs of all time. New releases include baseball underdog drama “Million Dollar Arm,” of which the MVP was plain for both of us to see, and Woody Allen’s “Magic in the Moonlight,” which Pete unsurprisingly snubbed. There’s also Liam Neeson thriller “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” and Philip Noyce’s “The Giver,” which Pete managed to smear in innuendo and spend forever on divulging the plot of. Taylor Swift’s presence in the film forces both of us to admit some admiration for her lyrical hand, while her likeness to a famously jilted tennis player instigates discussion of a disastrous celebrity relationship. Elsewhere, there’s a postponed Joe Wright rant from last week, Pete’s parents’ holiday snaps struggle to emulate Michael Ballhaus, and the natural charm of one of this week’s actresses leads to a new qualification in the Olsen Factor.

This week’s episode tops the 100-minute mark, as we take (a lot of) time out to discuss the many memorable films from 1999, revealing our top tens, and weighing in on some grandiose performances from the year. We also tackle some new releases, with Pete dishing all on the bonkers animation “The Boxtrolls” and Cal revealing how proud the LGBT community should be of “Pride”. We review Norwegian festival circuit favourite “Blind” and Anton Corbijn’s Hamburg-set thriller “A Most Wanted Man,” which features the final leading performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman. Tune in to find out what Pete has spent an excessive amount of money on this week, why Dominic West’s dancing is under scrutiny, and the sheer volume of affection extended to Rachel McAdams. Elsewhere, we discuss the unstoppable Jack O’Connell, Pete’s interruptions during Cal’s review of “Pride” leads to strikes being called, while this week’s Christie Clanger concerns the presence (or lackthereof) of Julie Delpy.

The Week’s News:

“The Imitation Game” wins the People’s Choice award at the Toronto Film Festival

George Clooney to receive the Cecil B. DeMille award at the Golden Globes

[3:40 – 10:45]

Reviews of:

A Most Wanted Man

Pride

Blind

The Boxtrolls

[22:05 – 1:05:00]

Closing Segment: Our take on the cinema of 1999, featuring discussion of films such as “The Road Home,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and “Rosetta,” and performances by Russell Crowe, Reese Witherspoon, and Cameron Diaz!